


Midnight Snack

by AcrylicHarpy



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Pre-Canon, canned tuna, mystery is there for like a second, pre-canon?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-23 04:49:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20002594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcrylicHarpy/pseuds/AcrylicHarpy
Summary: On the rare occasions when Vivi woke up and couldn't go back to sleep, she could almost always expect Arthur to be awake as well.





	Midnight Snack

**Author's Note:**

> Yeehaw for baby's first posted fic! 
> 
> Anyway this was written somewhere around December of 2018, and I'm just now getting to post it because hey! I have an ao3 account now

On the rare occasions when Vivi woke up during the night and couldn't go back to sleep, she could almost always count on Arthur being awake as well. The times that Vivi found herself unable to sleep were often the result of strong period cramps, or the apartment being a bit too hot, or a particularly bad nightmare, or just her built in spidey-senses that told her Arthur needed comforting. Every time she found him awake, she couldn't help but feel disappointed in him. He'd been taking his meds, sure, but nine times out of ten, when she stepped into the front room yawning and rubbing her eyes, he would be there, either fiddling with his arm or working on his laptop or eating a midnight snack by lamplight.

Tonight's activity of choice was sitting at the kitchen island and eating tuna directly out of the can with only the stove light as illumination. 

His back was to her as she stepped into the kitchen, hunkered over as his fork softly clinked against the metal can. He had a fleece Star Wars blanket wrapped over his shoulders like a shroud. Every so often, he would duck his head to eat a bite of tuna. To an outside viewer, it would’ve looked as if this was just a regular midnight snack run, but the way his shoulders drooped ever so slightly was just enough to tell his spectator he had a lot on his mind. 

Vivi stepped up behind him, as quietly as her socks would allow, and put a hand on his shoulder. Reacting appropriately, Arthur shrieked and nearly fell from his barstool, his fork clattering on the counter. He whirled and attempted to throw a sloppy punch at his attacker but, coupled with his fatigue and alarm, it missed by a mile. The punch threw his balance further, and he would've toppled to the floor entirely had Vivi not been there to catch him. 

"It's just me!" she said, the undertone of a laugh in her voice as she looped an arm around his shoulder and steadied him on his seat. 

Once he had his bearings, a look of indignation crossed his face and he gave Vivi a sock on the shoulder. "Fuck you," he grumbled. 

The punch felt like nothing, and she brushed it off with ease. "Sorry, sorry," she apologized, patting him on the back. 

His blanket had fallen to the floor during his surprise, and Vivi could see he wasn't wearing his prosthetic. How he managed to open and consume a can of tuna with only one hand was beyond her. She was sure if she could've seen him in the endeavor she would've laughed. 

"Shouldn’t you be asleep?" Vivi continued, reaching down to pick up Arthur's blanket and return it to its position around his shoulders. He accepted it and hunched back over the counter. 

"Shouldn't _you_ be asleep?" was the retort. His voice was somewhat raspy, and it made his tone come off as more blunt and irritated than he intended. Vivi was unaffected. 

"Yes, but you need more sleep than I do." She looked at his half-eaten can of tuna. "Finish that and then go to bed."

"Alright mom," Arthur deadpanned, pushing the can around idly with his fork. 

Vivi paused for a moment, then pursed her lips and frowned. She knew Arthur well enough to know that he was thinking about things that shouldn't be thought about at this time of night. She pulled out a stool beside Arthur and sat with him. "Wanna talk about it?"

Arthur let out a sigh, his head dipping a bit lower. His eyebrows twitched and drew inward slightly. "No," he said softly after a moment. 

"You sure?"

A pause. "Yes."

Vivi bobbed her head. "Alright… You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

He nodded. 

"Okay." She thought they had reached that part of their relationship years ago, but many times Arthur had kept things inside of him, bottling them up until he exploded. 

Arthur picked out some more tuna, and he ate in silence while he enjoyed Vivi's company. She said nothing, instead opting to rest her chin on her palm and stare down into the grain of the countertop, but he relished her presence anyway. 

Vivi's mind wanted to wander to unpleasant things. She wanted to know exactly what was going on in his brilliant little mind; she could almost see the gears turning in there. No doubt it was something about that Lewis. Or that cave. Or that mystery of how his arm got torn off. Things that shouldn't be thought about during these hours, and things that definitely shouldn't be bottled up. She knew he had an unusually large amount of guilt, and that he suspected he had a hand in the disappearance of his own best friend. Her boyfriend. A man she didn't even remember. She furrowed her brow and shook her head slightly, ridding herself of those thoughts. She shouldn't be drawn into that dark well alongside Arthur. 

He finished his tuna, then stood up and went to wash out the can before setting it beside the sink for future Arthur to deal with. Vivi opened her eyes to watch him. He began to make his way back to his room without another word, until she stood as well and stopped him with a hand on his arm. 

"C'mere," she said, spreading her arms. 

He looked at her for a moment before accepting her offer. Vivi slid her arms over his and hugged him gently. The gesture was meant to be more comforting, but Arthur had nearly a foot on her. It was at times like this she wished she were taller, so that she could be a large soothing presence for him to lean into. But for now, she leaned into him, pressing the side of her head into his chest and listening to his heartbeat. He let out a sigh and leaned his head on hers, his arm curling against her back. Vivi rubbed her thumb over a spot on his spine, and she felt him hug her just a bit tighter. 

After a few moments, Arthur tapped out. Vivi drew back and looked up at him. He had a tired smile on his face; small, but enough to tell Vivi he appreciated it. She smiled back, then glanced behind him down the hall where his bedroom was. 

"Wanna sleep with me tonight?" she asked. "Since we're both havin' trouble?"

That caught him off guard. His brow furrowed for a moment, as if he were trying to comprehend what she had said. He opened his mouth, then closed it again and pursed his lips. 

"It's alright if you don't," Vivi said, "I'm just putting it out there."

"No—I do, please," he responded hastily, shifting his blanket around his shoulders. 

Vivi smiled gently at him, then held out her hand. He accepted it, and they walked down to her bedroom. Arthur had to stop halfway to pick up his blanket; without his one hand to hold it in place, it slid easily from his shoulders. They went the rest of the way walking side-by-side rather than hand-in-hand. 

Vivi's room was dark, the only light came from moonlight filtering through a closed window and a small turtle-shaped night light plugged in beside the door. Mystery lay on the foot of her bed, and he lifted his head to acknowledge them as they entered. 

"Mystery, up," Vivi said. "Don't want Artie to kick you accidentally."

The dog obliged, hopping down from the bed and curling up on the floor beside it. 

Arthur gave the dog a wary look, but it faded when Vivi drew back the sheet and paused to look up at him. "Can you go brush your teeth first?" she asked. "You smell like tuna."

He gave her an amused snort. "Alright," he replied, then made the short trip down the hall to brush his teeth. When he returned, Vivi had gotten into bed and scooted nearest the wall. She patted the empty space beside her as he approached. 

He took the invitation and got in bed with her, a bit anxious, like he always was when in super close quarters with anyone, and lay on his back. He normally slept on his stomach, but he waited and watched her to see if she would do something first. 

Of course, she knew he slept on his stomach, and she knew he was waiting for her to make some sort of move. "Get comfortable," she told him, patting a hand on his chest. 

He made an agreeable mumble and turned onto his stomach. Vivi drew the blanket over them both and curled around him as best she could. She draped an arm over his back and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. He shivered slightly at the touch, but nestled into it after a moment. 

"Goodnight," she said. 

"G'night," he replied.

She soaked up his warmth, listening to the steady thrum of his heartbeat and the rise and fall of his chest. He shifted slightly, drawing his arm up to a more comfortable position under his chin. She smiled and let out a sigh. 

Vivi waited until his breathing steadied enough to know he was asleep before finally drifting off herself.


End file.
